Natron Energy: Lithium-Free Sodium Batteries Enter U.S. Production
May 3rd, 2024These have no supply chain constraints; made in U.S.
They are for stationary applications only.
Via: New Atlas:
Two years ago, sodium-ion battery pioneer Natron Energy was busy preparing its specially formulated sodium batteries for mass production. The company slipped a little past its 2023 kickoff plans, but it didn’t fall too far behind as far as mass battery production goes. It officially commenced production of its rapid-charging, long-life lithium-free sodium batteries this week, bringing to market an intriguing new alternative in the energy storage game.
Not only is sodium somewhere between 500 to 1,000 times more abundant than lithium on the planet we call Earth, sourcing it doesn’t necessitate the same type of earth-scarring extraction. Even moving beyond the sodium vs lithium surname comparison, Natron says its sodium-ion batteries are made entirely from abundantly available commodity materials that also include aluminum, iron and manganese.
Furthermore, the materials for Natron’s sodium-ion chemistry can be procured through a reliable US-based domestic supply chain free from geopolitical disruption. The same cannot be said for common lithium-ion materials like cobalt and nickel.
An Oil Price-Fixing Conspiracy Caused 27% of All Inflation Increases in 2021
May 3rd, 2024Diabolical.
Via: BIG by Matt Stoller:
Last Sunday, I wrote a piece alleging that U.S. shale oil producers colluded with the Saudi government from 2021-2023 to drive up gas prices. That essay was based on some reporting I had done, as well as a complaint from a savvy Kansas City class action law firm, Sharp Law, with special expertise in oil. The theory was that American producers, after a bitter price war from 2014-2016, got tired of competing on price with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or the OPEC oil cartel, and at some point from 2017-2021, decided to join the cartel and cut supply to the market. This action had the affect of raising oil prices, costing oil consumers something on the order of $200 billion a year.
Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission released evidence confirming that collusion played a serious role in hiking oil prices at that time. Pioneer Natural Resources CEO Scott Sheffield, a leader in the fracking field, “exchanged hundreds of text messages with OPEC representatives and officials discussing crude oil market dynamics, pricing and output.” Sheffield was explicit about his goal, saying that “if Texas leads the way, maybe we can get OPEC to cut production. Maybe Saudi and Russia will follow. That was our plan,” he said, adding: “I was using the tactics of OPEC+ to get a bigger OPEC+ done.” He talked to shareholders, publicly threatened rivals, and ultimately achieved output cuts across the industry regardless of price. “Even if oil gets to $200/barrel,” he said, “the independent producers are going to be disciplined.”
The Censorship-Industrial Complex: How Top Biden White House Officials Coerced Big Tech to Censor Americans, True Information, and Critics of the Biden Administration
May 3rd, 2024I doubt any of this will come as a surprise to you, but there’s 881 pages of it at the link if you’re interested.
Via: U.S. House of Representatives:
This interim report details the monthslong campaign by the Biden White House to coerce large companies, namely Meta (parent company of Facebook), Alphabet (parent company of YouTube), and Amazon, to censor books, videos, posts, and other content online. By the end of 2021, Facebook, YouTube, and Amazon changed their content moderation policies in ways that were directly responsive to criticism from the Biden Administration.
While the Biden White House’s pressure campaign largely succeeded, its effects were devastating. By suppressing free speech and intentionally distorting public debate in the modern town square, ideas and policies were no longer fairly tested and debated on their merits. Instead, policymakers implemented a series of public health measures that proved to be disastrous for the country. From unnecessary extended school closures to unconstitutional vaccine mandates that forced workers to take a newly developed vaccine or risk losing their jobs, the Biden Administration and other officials needlessly imposed harm and suffering on Americans across the country.
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Big Tech Changed Their Content Moderation Policies Because of Biden White House Pressure.
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The Biden White House’s Censorship Campaign Targeted True Information, Satire, and Other Content that Did Not Violate the Platforms’ Policies.
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The Biden White House’s Censorship Campaign had a Chilling Effect on Other Speech.
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The White House had Leverage Because the Companies had Other Policy Concerns Involving the Biden Administration.
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The Biden White House Pushed Censorship of Books, Not Just Social Media.
Russia Displays Destroyed Western Military Vehicles
May 3rd, 2024Via: Reuters:
Western tanks and military hardware captured by Russian forces in Ukraine went on display in Moscow on Wednesday at an exhibition the Russian military said showed Western help would not stop it winning the war.
Long queues of people formed on what was a sunny May Day public holiday at the entrance to the exhibition, entitled “Trophies of the Russian Army,” which is being held outside a museum celebrating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.
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State TV’s Channel One said the star of the show was a captured American M1 Abrams battle tank, which it said had been taken out by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine using a guided rocket and kamikaze drones.
H.R.6090 – Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023
May 3rd, 2024Via: Paul Watson:
‘Huff and Puff’ Exercises Lower Risk of Premature Death
May 3rd, 2024Via: StudyFinds:
People with high fitness levels had a 41 to 53-percent lower risk of premature death from any cause compared to those with low fitness. Each incremental increase in fitness of 1 MET (a measure of exercise intensity) was associated with a seven to 51-percent lower mortality risk, depending on the cause of death. The protective effects were applicable to deaths from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and sudden cardiac events.
“The message is quite simple: if you do a lot of ‘huff and puff’ exercise, then your risk of dying early or developing diseases in the future is reduced. If you avoid exercise your health may suffer,” says senior study author Grant Tomkinson, a professor at the University of South Australia, in a media release.
High fitness was also linked to a 37 to 69-percent reduced risk of developing chronic conditions like hypertension, heart failure, stroke, atrial fibrillation, dementia, and depression. Even in people already diagnosed with heart disease, cancer, and other chronic illnesses, those who were more fit had a significantly lower risk of dying.
U.S. DoD Concerned About Russian Plan Build Nuclear Anti Satellite Weapon
May 3rd, 2024Also U.S. DoD: Starfish Prime:
Starfish Prime was a high-altitude nuclear test conducted by the United States, a joint effort of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and the Defense Atomic Support Agency. It was launched from Johnston Atoll on July 9, 1962, and was the largest nuclear test conducted in outer space, and one of five conducted by the US in space.
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Starfish Prime caused an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that was far larger than expected, so much larger that it drove much of the instrumentation off scale, causing great difficulty in getting accurate measurements. The Starfish Prime electromagnetic pulse also made those effects known to the public by causing electrical damage in Hawaii, about 900 miles (1,450 km) away from the detonation point, knocking out about 300 streetlights, setting off numerous burglar alarms, and damaging a telephone company microwave link. The EMP damage to the microwave link shut down telephone calls from Kauai to the other Hawaiian islands.
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While some of the energetic beta particles followed the Earth’s magnetic field and illuminated the sky, other high-energy electrons became trapped and formed radiation belts around the Earth. The added electrons increased the intensity of electrons within the natural inner Van Allen radiation belt by several orders of magnitude.
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The weaponeers became quite worried when three satellites in low Earth orbit were disabled. These included TRAAC and Transit 4B. The half-life of the energetic electrons was only a few days. At the time it was not known that solar and cosmic particle fluxes varied by a factor of 10, and energies could exceed 1 MeV (0.16 pJ). In the months that followed, these man-made radiation belts eventually caused six or more satellites to fail, as radiation damaged their solar arrays or electronics, including the first commercial relay communication satellite, Telstar, as well as the United Kingdom’s first satellite, Ariel 1.
Via: NBC:
A senior Defense Department official told lawmakers Wednesday that Russia is developing an “indiscriminate” anti-satellite nuclear device that would pose a threat to all satellites operated by countries and companies around the world.
“The concept that we are concerned about is Russia developing and — if we are unable to convince them otherwise — to ultimately fly a nuclear weapon in space which will be an indiscriminate weapon” that would not distinguish among military, civilian or commercial satellites, John Plumb, the assistant secretary of defense for space policy, said at a House Armed Services subcommittee hearing.
Macron Vows to Send Troops to Ukraine if Putin’s Forces Break Through Front Lines
May 2nd, 2024Via: Daily Mail:
Emmanuel Macron has said he would be prepared to send troops to Ukraine if Vladimir Putin’s forces break through the front lines – further raising the risk of NATO forces clashing with Russia’s armies.
In an interview published today, the French president said the issue of sending troops would ‘legitimately’ arise if Kyiv and president Volodymyr Zelensky made such a request.
“Federal Health Officials Aim to Develop a Vaccine to Protect People from Bird Flu”
May 2nd, 2024Mmm hmm.
Via: NPR:
The bird flu that’s now spreading among cows does not yet appear to pose an imminent threat to most people, but federal health officials say they’ve started to develop a vaccine to protect people just in case.
Turkey Halts All Trade With Israel
May 2nd, 2024Via: Bloomberg:
Turkey stopped all trade with Israel as of Thursday, according to two Turkish officials familiar with the matter, adding to already high-running tensions between the once-close allies over the war in Gaza.
The move expands last month’s restriction on some Turkish exports to Israel, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan steps up criticism of the Jewish state and tries to consolidate support among conservative voters at home.
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Trade between the countries was worth $6.8 billion in 2023, of which 76% was Turkish exports, according to the Turkish statistical institute.
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The move came a day after Turkey announced plans to join South Africa’s case at the United Nations’ highest court as a plaintiff accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Palestinian territory.
